Apparatus for reorienting tubular knitted fabric



F. CATALLO ETAL 3,337,107

APPARATUS FOR REORIE NTING TUBULAR KNITTED FABRIC 3 Filed June 22, 1965Aug. 22, 1967 2 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTORS FRANK CATALLO SARGENT F? SNYDER.Illll.

24 WWW/W ATTORNEYS Aug. 22, 1967 F. CATALLO' ETAL 3,337,107

APPARATUS FOR REORIENTING TUBULAR KNITTED FABRIC Filed June 22, 1965 v 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FEG.3

ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,337,107 Patented Aug. 22, 1967Gardens, N.Y., assignors to Samcoe Holding Corpora-.

tion, Woodside, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 22, 1965,Ser. No. 466,026

12 Claims. (Cl. 226197) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention isdirected to a facility for manipulating tubular knitted fabric beinghandled in flat, two layer form, in a manner to relocate the edges ofthe flat tube form to other regions about the circumference of thefabric tube. The facility includes a reorienting guide frame over whichthe fabric tube is drawn and which is arranged in a plane disposed at alarge angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the tube. Input andoutput guides direct the fabric to and away from the reorienting guide.Typically, the original edges of the flat fabric tube are relocated tothe center area of the reoriented flat tube.

In the handling and processing of tubular knitted fabric, the fabric isusually handled in the form of an intact tube, typically in flat,two-layered form. As various processing operations are carried out, theflattened tube may tend to acquire definite edge creases. At certainstages of processing, it may be desirable or advantageous to reorientthe flattened fabric tube, such that the original edge creases thereofare relocated in the newly formed flattened tube, typically along thecenter line. Certain arrangements for this purpose already are known, aparticularly advantageous form of such apparatus being described andclaimed in the Clarence Yost Patent No. 2,591,903. The present inventionis directed to equipment of the general type illustrated in the Yostpatent and is concerned with the making of specific and advantageousimprovements over such prior apparatus, to the end of realizing greaterprecision and uniformity in the reorientation of fabric and of effectinga simplification of the equipment utilized.

One of the especially useful applications for edge-tocenterreorientation equipment is to reorient the fabric tube prior to slittingthe tube longitudinally to form open width knitted fabric. It is oftenconvenient to align theslitting and allied (e.g., gumming) facilitiesalong the center line of the fabric tube, enabling the slit tube to beconveniently laid open to its full Width form. In such cases, it isdesirable to reorient the edge crease of the fabric so that one of thecreases will lie along the slitting axis so that, in the slit and openedfabric, only one of the original edge creases remains.

Particularly in connection with edge-to-center reorientation prior toslitting, but also for most other occasions when such reorientation isdesired, it is important to minimize the side-to-side wander of thereoriented creases. This is particularly difficult in connection withtubular knitted fabric, for example, because of its elastic, distortablecharacteristics and because of its spiral construction. In addition,particularly in the case of handlingi tubular knitted fabric, it isdesirable and important to avoid introducing distortions in the fabricduring the manipulations involved in effecting edge-to-centerreorientation.

In accordance with the present invention, a novel and:

any opportunity for fabric distortions to be introduced.

In accordance with fundamental aspects of the invention, provisions aremade for guiding of the advancing fabric tube during edge-to-centerreorientation in such a manner that the fabric travels throughsubstantially a minimum theoretical distance from the time reorientationis commenced to the time it is completed. In addition, the manipulationsof the fabric during reorientation are such as to reliably assure thatall portions of the fabric travel through substantially identicaldistances, so that distortions of the fabric are effectively avoided.More specifically, the apparatus of the invention includes a flat,square fabric reorienting guide frame section, which is positionedwithin the fabric tube and transversely disposed with respect'to theaxis of the tube. The incoming tube, maintained in flat form, has itsedges aligned with a pair of diagonally opposed corners of the squareframe,

and the outgoing tube, again in flat, two-layered form,.

to the plane of the input guide frame section, and an output guide framesection disposed at right angles to the reorienting frame section. Theinput and output guide frame sections are aligned with respectivediagonally opposed corners of the square reorienting frame section. Thecomplete frame structure is confined and supported by pairs of cornerguide elements, most advantageously small diameter rollers, which arearranged to redirect the fabric through a relatively sharp right angleturn as it travels onto and 0E the fiat, square reorienting framesection.

A simplified, widely adjustable apparatus according to the inventionadvantageously incorporates the fourpiece frame structure, With allparts telescopically assembled to form an adjustable structure includinginput and output guide frame sections and an intermediate fabricreorienting guide frame section.

For a further explanation of the above and other novel and advantageousfeatures of the invention, reference should be made to the followingdetailed description and to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an apparatus according to theinvention for effecting edge-to-center reorientation of tubular knittedfabric;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparaus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 s an elevaional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an assembled frame structure, includinginput and output guide frame sections and a fabric reorienting guideframe section, as incorporated in the apparatus of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, thereference numeral 10 designates a supply roll of tubular knitted fabric.The fabric typically is at an intermediate stage of processing and is inflat, twolayered form and has been set at a relatively uniform width. Inthe system illustrated in FIG. 1, the web 11 of flat, tubular materialis directed over an input guide roll 12 and advances in a generallyvertically downward direction over a fabric reorienting frame assemblygenerally designated by the reference numeral 13. On the output side ofthe machine, the reoriented Web 14, still in flat, two-layered form buthaving its original edges now located along the centerline of the web,is advanced by a drive roll and then passes over a dancer roll 16 andguide roll 17 and passes on to a subsequent processing apparatus.

In the illustrated arrangement, the fabric is drawn through thereorienting apparatus on a demand basis, although other speedcontrolling arrangements may be employed as desired. The demand feedarrangement of the illustrated equipment includes the dancer roll 16,which is raised and lowered as a function of the incoming and outgoingrates of the fabric and controls an airactuated drive motor 18 in such away that the incoming and outgoing rates are kept in balance.

The illustrated apparatus includes a supporting stand 19, including legs20 and a supporting platform 21. The platform 21 supports and journalsupper and lower pairs of elongated, small diameter rollers 22, 23 which,for convenience of description, may be referred to as corner guiderollers. In the illustrated arrangement, the platform 21 consists of acircular frame and the upper pair of corner guide rollers -22advantageously is disposed generally along one diameter of the platformwhile the lower corner guide rollers 23' are disposed generally along asecond diameter related at right angles to the first. Advantageously,the corner guide rollers 22, 23 are of minimum diameter consistent withadequate rigidity, having regard to their length and the nature of theservice requirements to which they are exposed. Typically, corner guiderollers of about 45 inches in length may have a diameter on the order of3 inches, and the separation between rollers of a pair may be on theorder of 2 inches or less. As illustrated, both pairs of corner guiderollers are disposed in horizontal planes, with a relatively minimumseparation (e.g., about 1 inch in the abovementioned environment)between the bottoms of the upper rollers 22 and the tops of the lowerrollers 23.

For reasons which will appear, the corner guide rollers 22, 23 may bedriven in synchronism with the passage of the fabric through theequipment. However, in the illustrated arrangement, the rollers arejournaled for free rotation.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the input guide roller 12 advantageously issupported above and with one side in alignment with the upper pair ofcorner guide rollers 22, as by means of frame brackets 24.Advantageously, the alignment of the guide roller 12 is such that theincoming fabric web 11 travels vertically downward into the openingbetween the upper pair of corner guide rollers 22.

In accordance with significant aspects of the invention, the pairs ofcorner guide rollers 22, 23 locate and support a fabric reorientingframe assembly, which has been generally designated by the referencenumeral 13 and is shown in detail in FIG. 4. The frame assembly 13consists essentially of an input guide frame section 25 of invertedU-sha-ped configuration, a fabric reorienting guide frame section 26 ofsquare configuration, and an output guide frame section 27 of uprightU-shaped configuration. As shown in FIG. 4, the input guide framesection 25 is disposed in a vertical plane; the fabric reorienting guideframe section 26 is disposed in a horizontal plane, at right angles tothe input guide frame section; and the output guide frame section 27 isdisposed in a vertical plane, at right angles to both the fabricreorienting and the input guide frame sections 26, 25. It will beunderstood, of course, that reference herein to horizontal and verticaldispositions is relative only, as the entire apparatus may bedifferently oriented such that, for example, the square reorientingframe section 26 is disposed in a vertical or other plane. The lowerextremities of the input guide frame section terminate at the first pairof diagonally opposed corners of the square frame section 16, while theupper extremities of the output guide frame section terminate at theopposite pair of diagonally opposed corners of the frame section 26.

As illustrated particularly in FIG. 2, the frame assembly 13 is soincorporated in the equipment that the square reorienting frame section26 lies in a horizontal plane between the pairs of corner guide rollers22, 23', being supported and stabilized by such rollers. The input guideframe section projects upward between the rollers 22, and the outputguide frame section 27 projects downward between the lower rollers 23.Thus, the frame assembly 13 is completely supported and fixed inposition by the pairs of corner guide rollers 22, 23, there beingsufficient clearance between the frame parts and the corner guiderollers to accommodate the passage of fabric over the guide frameassembly and between the rollers, as will be made apparent.

As is evident in FIGS. 1-3, the incoming fabric web 11, usuallypreviously set to predetermined, uniform width, travels over the inputguide roller 12 and then passes over and about the input guide framesection 25, which serves to align and guide the incoming fabric so thatit advances without distortion between the upper corner guide rollers 22and onto the square fabric reorienting guide frame section 26 inaccurate alignment with the first diagonally opposed corners 28, 29thereof.

With reference to FIG. 2, the opposite layers of the fabric tube, aftertraveling between the corner guide rollers 22 and approaching the framesection 26, travel horizontally in opposite directions (i.e., away fromthe corner guide rollers 22). Individual longitudinal elements of thefabric pass around and under the frame section 26 and then travel, atright angles to their original direction, toward the lower corner guiderollers 23. Ultimately, all longitudinal elements of the fabric travelover, around and between the corner guide rollers 23 and the fabric isdischarged over the output guide frame section 27. The side-to-sidewidth of the output guide frame section 27 is equal to that of the inputguide frame section 25, so that the outgoing fabric is essentiallyidentical to the incoming fabric, except that the identifiable edges ofthe flattened tube have been reoriented to lie along what initially wasthe centerline of the web.

Reorientation of the fabric tube occurs while the fabric is travelingover the square fabric reorienting guide frame section 26 and, as willbe understood, all portions of the fabric travel through equal andtheoretically minimum distances in traveling over the frame section 26,such that the reorientation is effected without introducing tensions anddistortions into the fabric and while maintaining at an irreducibleminimum the opportunity for the fabric to wander or lose its preciseedge alignment. By way of example, the initial edges of the incomingfabric web 11, being initially aligned with an outer extremity (corner)of the frame section 26, travel directly inward to the plane of theout-put guide frame section 27 during reorientation, or a distance equalto M1 the circumference of the tube. At the other extreme, the portionsof the fabric tube initially aligned along the centerline travel fromthe plane of the input guide frame section 25 along the top of the framesection 26 to the outer edges of the output frame section 27, at whichpoint reorientation is completed; the distance involved again preciselyequals A of the circumference of the fabric tube. At any pointintermediate the original edge extremities of the tube and the originalcenterline of the tube, the total distance traveled by a longitudinalportion of the tube undergoing reorientation is the sum of its travelover the top of the frame section 26 (horizontally in FIG. 2) and itstravel over the bottom of the frame section (vertically in FIG. 2), andit can be readily seen that the sum of these distances is equal at anypoint along the frame.

Reoriented fabric passing off the output guide frame section 27 passesover the drive roller 15, which is advantageously covered with afriction material such as felt. The roller 15 may be driven as by achain 32 from the controllable air motor 18. The motor 18 is actuatedfrom an air source 33, regulated by a valve 34. The valve 34 iscontrolled by a cam 35 carried by arms 36 which support the dancer roll16. Where it may appear desirable or appropriate to drive the cornerguide rollers 22, 23, they would be driven in synchronism with the maindrive roller 15, from the output of the motor 18. In some cases, it maybe advantageous to utilize the lower corner guide roller 23, eitheralone or along with the upper corner guide rollers 22, to perform thedriving functions of the main drive roller 15, in which event the lattercould be eliminated. The corner guide rollers would, in such case, bedriven under the control of the dancer roll 16, and the driver guiderollers advantageously would be provided with a surface covering of asuitable friction material.

- In the illustrated apparatus, accommodation for various widths oftubular knitted fabric is made by providing for telescopic adjustment ofthe frame assembly 13. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the input guide framesection 25 comprises a pair of guide frame elements 37, 38 of invertedL-shaped configuration. The upper, horizontal legs of the frame elements37, 38 are telescopically interfitted, as at 39, for adjustment of thewidth of the input guide frame section, with suitable means (notspecifically shown) being provided to lock these and othertelescopically assembly parts in adjusted positions.

The outer legs of the frame sections 37, 38 project downward,advantageously in parallel relation, and are joined to the diagonallyopposed corners 28, 29 of the square reorienting frame section 26.

The output guide frame section 27 is similar to the input guide framesection, but consists of upright L-shaped frame sections 40, 41, thevertically disposed legs of which join the frame section 26 at thediagonally opposed corners 30, 31.

Advantageously, the square reorienting frame section 26 is made up offour L-shaped frame sections 42-45 which are disposed in a horizontalplane, and the respective apices of which form the corners 28-31. Theindividual horizontal L-shaped frame sections 4245 are secured, as bywelding, to the vertical ends of the frame sections 37, 38 and 40, 41,and the horizontal frame sections 44, 45 are arranged to telescopicallyinterfit with the sections 42, 43. Further, the included right angleformed by the horizontal L-shaped sections 4245 is, in each case,bisected by the plane of one or the other of the input or output guideframe sections 25, 27. The arrangement is such that the entire guideframe assembly 13 illustrated in FIG. 4 is adjustably assembled fromfour components.

The apparatus of the present invention, while being of a simplified,economical design and construction, represents an improvement over knownarrangements for effecting edge-to-center reorientation of tubularknitted fabric, particularly with respect to the uniformity and accuracywith which the fabric edges are realigned, and also with respect to thefreedom from distortions, which often influence the result of handlingor treating a distortable material such as tubular knitted fabric.

One of the significant aspects of the invention resides in the fact thatedge-to-center reorientation is carried out on a fiat, square framesection, under conditions such that the fabric travels through a minimumdistance and all portions of the fabric travel through equal distances.This is accomplished in accordance with the present invention by guidingthe fabric tube in fiat, two-layered form directly into the plane of thesquare fabric reorienting guide frame section, with the original edgesof the fabric tube aligned with a first pair of diagonally opposedcorners of the square frame. The outgoing, reoriented fabric likewise isguided away from the flat, square reorienting frame section along aplane aligned with the second pair of diagonally opposed corners of thereorienting frame.

The entire reorienting facility according to the invention comprises, inessence, a flat, square reorienting frame, fiat input and output guideframes aligned with opposed diagonal corners of the reorienting frame,and corner guide elements disposed on opposite sides of the input andoutput guide frames and closely adjacent to the reorienting frame, sothat the incoming and outgoing fabric is guided rather abruptly from oneplane to another. Most advantageously, the input and output guide framesare disposed at right angles to the plane of the square reorientingframe section 26, but theoretically at least, the planes of the inputand output frames could be tilted with respect to the reorienting frame,as long as the respective planes intersected along diagonals of thereorienting frame.

The equipment of the invention is particularly advantageous for use inconnection with a gumming and slitting range, for example, where thefabric tube is slit open along its centerline and then laid flat to formopen width material. In such cases, it is desirable to reorient thefabric edges so that the initial edge creases lie along the centerlineof the fabric, and one of the creases is then, in effect, removed by theslitting operation. For this to be effective, however, the fabricreorientation must be carried out with precision and uniformity, whichis realized to the greatest practicable extent using the equipment ofthe invention.

It will be understood, of course, that the specific apparatusillustrated and described herein is intended to be representative only,as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clearteachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made tothe following appended claims in determining the full scope of theinvention.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for effecting edge-to-center reorientation of tubularknitted fabric, comprising (a) a first guide frame section for receivingtubular knitted fabric in fiat, two-layer form and guiding it in apredetermined first plane by internal engagement with the edges of thetubular knitted fabric,

(b) said first guide f-rame section having a predetermined longitudinalaxis,

(c) a second guide frame section disposed in a second predeterminedplane arranged at right angles to the first plane and at right angles tosaid predetermined longitudinal axis,

(d) said second guide frame section being of square outline,

(e) the plane ofsaid first guide frame section intersecting said squareoutline on a diagonal between a first pair of diagonally opposedcorners, and the side edge extremities of said first guide frame sectionintersecting with and terminating at said corners,

(f) a third guide frame section disposed in a third predetermined planearranged at right angles to said first and second planes and havingalongitudinal axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of said firstguide frame section,

(g) the plane of said third guide frame section intersecting the squareoutline of said second guide frame section on a diagonal between asecond pair of opposed corners, and the side edge extremities of saidthird guide frame section intersecting with and terminating at thecorners of said second pair, and

(h) first and second pairs of corner guide elements disposed to lie inthe corners formed by said guide frame sections, arranged to engageopposed layers of the fabric tube and redirect the fabric layers througha degree change in direction from one plane to another.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized by (a) saidcorner guide elements comprising small diameter rollers supported forrotation,

(b) said rollers being positioned to engage the fabric layers across thewidth of the fabric and to rotate in synchronism with the advance of thefabric.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, further including (a) supportingframe structure,

(b) said corner guide elements being secured to and supported by saidframe structure,

(c) said guide frame sections being supported, through interposed fabriclayers, by said corner guide elements.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, further including (a) a drive rollerpositioned adjacent the discharge side of said third guide frame sectionfor engaging discharged, reoriented fabric across its width,

(b) said drive roller having a high friction, fabric engaging surface,and

(c) drive means for operating said drive roller to advance said fabricover said guide frame sections.

5. Apparatus for effecting edge-to-center reorientation of tubularknitted fabric, comprising (a) a fabric reorienting guide frame sectionof generally flat form and substantially square cross section,

(b) means supporting said fabric reorienting guide frame section ingenerally transverse disposition to the axis of an advancing fabrictube,

() input guide means on one side of said fabric reorienting guide framesection for aligning the original edges of the fabric tube with a firstpair of diagonally opposed corners of said guide frame sec tion, and

(d) output guide means on the opposite side of said fabric reorientingguide frame section establishing new edges of the fabric tube alignedwith the other pair of diagonally opposed corners of said guide framesection.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, further characterized by (a) saidinput and output guide means being disposed generally at right angles tothe plane of said fabric reorienting guide frame section.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, further including (a) first andsecond pairs of corner guide means on opposite sides of said fabricreorienting guide frame section positioned closely adjacent thereto,

(b) the first pair of corner guide means extending between a first pairof diagonally opposed corners of the fabric reorienting guide framesection, and the second pair of corner guide means extending between thesecond pair of corners of said guide frame section.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, further characterized by (a) saidpairs of corner guide means comprising pairs of small diameter guiderollers, and

(b) said input and output guide means comprising guide frame sectionsextending between respective pairs of guide rollers.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, further including (a) means foradvancing the tubular knitted fabric over said input and output guidemeans and said fabric reorienting guide frame section positionedadjacent the output guide means for engaging and advancing said fabricacross its width.

10. Apparatus for effecting edge-to-center reorientation of tubularknit-ted fabric, comprising (a) input, output and fabric reorientingguide frame sections related with respect to each other at right angles,

(b) said input guide frame section comprising a first pair oftelescopically related frame elements of inverted L-shape configurationadjustably joined along aligned horizontal legs to form a guide framesection of inverted U-shaped configuration,

(c) said output guide frame section comprising a second pair oftelescopically related frame elements of upright L-shaped configurationadjustably joined along aligned horizontal legs to form a guide framesection of U-shaped configuration,

(d) each of the vertical leg-s of said inverted and upright L-shapedguide frame elements having secured thereto a horizontal L-shaped frameelement disposed in a horizontal plane,

(e) said horizontal L-shaped frame elements being joined at their apicesto the end extremities of vertical legs of said inverted and uprightL-shaped frame elements, with the right angles of said horizontal L-shaped elements being bisected by the planes of said U-shaped guideframe sections,

(f) the projecting legs of said horizontal L-shaped frame elements beingtelescopically adjustably joined with legs of two other such frameelements to form a generally square, horizontally disposed fabricreorienting guide frame section.

11. Apparatus for effecting reorientation of the edges of tubularknitted fabric, comprising (a) a fabric reorienting guide frame sectionof generally flat form and of substantially closed configuration,

(b) means supporting said fabric reorienting guide frame section in aplane disposed at a large angle to the axis of the advancing tube ofknitted fabric,

(c) input guide means on one side of said fabric reorienting guide framesection for aligning the original edges of the fabric tube with edgeareas of said fabric reorienting guide frame,

(d) output guide means on the opposite side of said fabric reorientingguide frame section for establishing new edges of the fabric tubealigned with other edge areas of the fabric reorienting guide frame, and

(e) means for guiding the fabric substantially in the plane of thereorienting guide frame section.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, further characterized by (a) saidinput and output guide means being disposed to establish said new edgessubstantially centrally between the original edges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS M. HENSON WOOD, JR., PrimaryExaminer.

I. N. ERLICH, Assistant Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING EDGE-TO-CENTER REORIENTATION OF TUBULARKNITTED FABRIC, COMPRISING (A) A FIRST GUIDE FRAME SECTION FOR RECEIVINGTUBULAR KNITTED FABRIC IN FLAT, TWO-LAYER FORM AND GUIDING IT IN APREDETERMINED FIRST PLANE BY INTERNAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EDGES OF THETUBULAR KNITTED FABRIC, (B) SAID FIRST GUIDE FRAME SECTION HAVING APREDETERMINED LONGITUDINAL AXIS, (C) A SECOND GUIDE FRAME SECTIONDISPOSED IN A SECOND PREDETERMINED PLANE ARRANGED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THEFIRST PLANE AND AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID PREDETERMINED LONGITUDINAL AXIS,(D) SAID SECOND GUIDE FRAME SECTION BEING OF SQUARE OUTLINE, (E) THEPLANE OF SAID FIRST GUIDE FRAME SECTION INTERSECTING SAID SQUARE OUTLINEON A DIAGONAL BETWEEN A FIRST PAIR OF DIAGONALLY OPPOSED CORNERS, ANDTHE SIDE EDGE EXTREMITIES OF SAID FIRST GUIDE FRAME SECTION INTERSECTINGWITH AND TERMINATING AT SAID CORNERS, (F) A THIRD GUIDE FRAME SECTIONDISPOSED IN A THIRD PREDETERMINED PLANE ARRANGED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAIDFIRST AND SECOND PLANES AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS COINCIDENT WITHTHE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID FIRST GUIDE FRAME SECTION,